Foundayo weight-loss pill gets UK approval
- By Reuters -
- Aug 10, 2026
The British medicines regulator on Monday authorised Eli Lilly’s pill Foundayo for weight management and type 2 diabetes, becoming Europe’s first country to do so.
Shares of the Indianapolis-based company were up more than 2% in morning trading.
“Whilst this tablet is approved for use in the UK, it is not available currently via the NHS,” the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, or MHRA, said.
Eli Lilly did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on the drug’s pricing and availability in the UK.
Lilly’s GLP-1 tablet, a once-daily drug that targets the GLP-1 hormone, has been gaining momentum in the U.S. since its approval and launch in April, but it still lags rival Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy pill.
Foundayo (orforglipron) is an oral, once-daily GLP-1 receptor agonist medication developed by Eli Lilly and approved by the US FDA in April 2026 for chronic weight management.
It is indicated for adults with obesity (or overweight plus at least one weight-related condition) and is intended to be used alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity. Unlike many injectable GLP-1 drugs, Foundayo is a small-molecule pill that can be taken at any time of day with or without food.
In clinical trials, patients on the highest dose achieved average weight loss of around 11% of body weight (roughly 25 pounds) over 72 weeks.